Effective meetings · Perth, Western Australia
Meeting effectiveness training helps leaders and teams run fewer, shorter meetings that reach better decisions. David Julian Price works with CEOs, executive teams, boards and councils in Perth and across Australia, in person and online, to fix agendas, chairing, participation and follow-through, so every meeting earns the time it takes. Specialist programs include a meeting diagnostic and advocacy and councillor training.
Poor meetings rarely happen because people don’t care. They happen because nobody has ever shown them what a good meeting looks like. That’s where I come in.
“The meeting that runs itself doesn’t exist. But the chair who makes it look that way? That’s a skill anyone can learn.”
Why it matters
It’s where you:
So why do so many leave people frustrated, disengaged and wondering why they were there? Meetings consume more time, energy and goodwill than almost anything else in organisational life. They deserve better.
Watch
Meetings have been my life’s work
Most consultants specialise in leadership. Or communication. Or governance. I specialise in meetings. For 40+ years I’ve helped organisations across Australia and internationally improve the way they meet, communicate and decide. Few people have spent as much time studying why meetings succeed and, more importantly, why they fail.
My philosophy
Better meetings don’t happen because people learn another set of rules. They happen because people learn to think differently. Above all, good meetings are conversations where people feel safe to contribute, ideas are explored thoroughly and decisions are made with confidence. My role is to create those conversations.
Good meetings are built on
Meeting health check
I’ve watched hundreds of board, executive, council, committee and project meetings. The problems are remarkably consistent. Tick the ones you recognise.
Tick the problems you recognise and I’ll tell you what they mean.
The good news: every one of these problems can be fixed.
What changes
Meeting effectiveness is about far more than starting on time or following an agenda. It’s about meetings where people contribute openly, decisions are made confidently and everyone leaves knowing what happens next.
People say what they mean, in the room.
Less talking in circles, more getting things done.
Actions have owners, dates and follow-through.
Fewer, shorter meetings that are worth attending.
Smarter Meetings · The flagship program
In virtually every workplace, people want the same three things. Smarter Meetings gives leaders, attendees, minute-takers and meeting organisers the techniques to make it happen.
I often drive down to Fremantle just to watch the ships come in and out. The logistics fascinate me. So do the process and procedure of a good meeting. (Yes, I’m a meeting tragic. I’ve been known to sit in on Perth council meetings for fun.)
Better meetings don’t just happen, but they can change one step at a time. We start with your organisation’s values and its written and unwritten ground rules, then redesign your meetings to suit your philosophy and goals. Once the skills are in place, your meetings run like a well-oiled machine. Or ship.
Not sure where to start?
Small groups or large. I coach the group on running better meetings, and show each person how to add value as a knowledgeable, active participant in every meeting they attend.
David’s top 10
You could write a book on this. I’ve written four. Here’s the short version, so everyone’s time is respected, including yours.
Do this and the team rises to the standard you set.
Meeting ground rules
Respect each other’s time. Before, during and after.
Here are some of the ground rules I help teams adopt. My favourite? Set start times at odd moments like 10:47am or 2:53pm. Everyone turns up to see it happen. As chair, make sure it does.
Watch and learn
“I think David knows more about governance than the Speaker in Federal Parliament, but he is not the slightest bit boring or pompous about it. He has a clever knack for making meeting procedures engaging and simple.”Colin Pearce
Training programs
Want to see every program, who it suits and how it’s delivered? Visit Meeting Effectiveness Training.
How I help
Every organisation is different, so there’s no one-size-fits-all fix. The goal is always the same: spend less time in meetings and achieve more because of them.
My aim isn’t just to improve your next meeting. It’s to improve every meeting that follows.
Why David Price
Meetings have been the focus of my professional life for decades. I’ve observed, chaired, facilitated and reviewed meetings across corporate organisations, local government, professional associations and community groups.
Good meetings are never just about procedure. They’re about behaviour, leadership, communication and decision making. That’s where the real improvement happens.
Who I work with
Resources to help your meetings
Questions
It’s the ability of a meeting to achieve its purpose while making the best possible use of people’s time, knowledge and experience. Effective meetings lead to better decisions, clearer actions and stronger accountability.
Yes. I regularly observe meetings and give practical recommendations that improve the way organisations plan, lead and follow up their meetings.
Absolutely. I work with boards, executive teams, councils, committees and leadership groups across many different sectors.
Yes. Better meetings aren’t just about changing agendas or procedures. They’re about changing the behaviours and habits that decide whether a meeting succeeds.
Yes. I deliver workshops, coaching and keynote presentations covering every aspect of meeting effectiveness, governance, chairing meetings and professional minute taking.
Smarter Meetings is my flagship meeting effectiveness program. It gives leaders, attendees, minute-takers and meeting organisers practical techniques for fewer, shorter and better meetings, from agenda design and ground rules to handling conflict and capturing decisions as the meeting runs.
A professional once-over of your meetings. I observe how they run, then recommend the changes that will make the biggest difference. Think of it as a chiropractor for your meetings: minor adjustments, big results.
A meetings expert helps organisations improve the way they plan, run and follow up meetings. That can mean reviewing meetings, coaching Chairs, improving governance, facilitating discussions or training leadership teams.
Yes. I regularly facilitate strategic planning workshops, executive retreats, leadership meetings and complex discussions where an independent facilitator adds value.
I’m one of the few people on the planet who loves a good meeting, and I’ve sat through enough bad ones to know the difference. I’ll show you how to have fewer meetings, shorter meetings and better meetings. Your calendar will thank you, your staff will thank you, and so will your family, because they’ll see more of you.
Let’s make your meetings worth attending
Meetings aren’t an interruption to work. They’re where much of your organisation’s most important work happens. Improve the meetings and you improve the decisions. Improve the decisions and you improve the organisation.
